Photo by Ray LaVoie
Linda Fersch may not have grown up in Pickerington, but it quickly became the perfect place to raise children and start her career with the then Village of Pickerington. Now, she is a dedicated Pickeringtonian for life.
Fersch retired in 2010, yet her work is not done yet. She continues to impact the lives of those around her with the Violet Township Women’s League, which she joined in 2005.
Early years
Fersch was born on the south side of Columbus in the German Village area. She attended Saint Mary School and Christ The King Catholic School and graduated from Bishop Hartley High School in 1965.
Following in her mother’s footsteps, Fersch took business classes in school which led her to a job with an attorney in downtown Columbus.
“He was right next to the Dispatch building, so I would see the Dispatch every day,” Fersch says. “I worked there for six years and then I met my husband (David) in 1969. He had just returned from Vietnam and I met him at a USO dance.”
Three months later, on Valentine’s Day, the two got engaged. They had to postpone their wedding for a year as David had an assignment overseas, and they married on June 12, 1971.
David and Linda wouldn’t stick around in Columbus. Shortly after they wed, David’s career took them all over the world, from California to Spain, where their sons, Jeff and Steve, were born. Although they made many friends and memories during the two-and-a-half years they were overseas, the Fersches were overjoyed when they were approved to move back to the U.S.
“We came in at 9 o’clock Christmas Eve night and (seeing) the lights in Port Columbus, it was just the most euphoric feeling because you knew you were coming home permanently,” Fersch says.
Perfect place
Photo by Ray Lavoie
Linda Fersch
Once David was assigned to the Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base (formerly the Lockbourne Air Force Base), they knew they were there to stay and began searching for a home.
“We lived with my parents for a few months and then we looked around and we finally – after looking at 30 houses all over central Ohio – settled on Pickerington, and that was the best decision we made,” Fersch says.
She found that Pickerington was a great home to raise their sons and daughter, Jennifer. Fate would also have it that moving to Pickerington would kick off Fersch’s career in public service.
In 1979, Fersch was named the interim clerk-treasurer for the Village of Pickerington and she was officially elected to the position in 1980. She would stay there for several years.
Fersch’s infectious spirit and skill with numbers made her a dynamic worker for the city, always ready to fill in where she was needed most. Throughout her career, she was the finance director, tax administrator and administrator for the board of health just to name a few.
“I worked under about 14 city managers and eight interim managers, and then numerous mayors and numerous council people,” Fersch says. “I always looked at anything I tackled in life as a learning experience. And even now in life, no matter how old you are, you can always learn something new every day and that is important.”
Helping for the future
Fersch certainly practices what she preaches, and has continued to learn and gain experiences with the people she has met at the Women’s League. The group meets monthly throughout most of the year and identifies a charity organization to donate time and money to. The league hosts raffles and organizes volunteer opportunities with numerous organizations. Its philanthropic efforts have touched countless people in central Ohio over the past 25 years.
“We do charitable things and we do fun things. It’s sort of like the perfect combination,” Fersch says.
Over the years, the league has also awarded a total of $134,000 in scholarships to students in the Pickerington and Violet Township region who are involved with community service.
While Fersch enjoys seeing the fruits of her efforts from her involvement with Women’s League, it is the relationships she’s formed that will stick with her for life.
“You meet so many people throughout the organization and there’s a lot of very caring people,” Fersch says. “If someone’s ill or something, people send them cards or encourage them or visit them and stuff like that.”
She hopes to join the local Lions Club so she can help her community in more ways, but for now, she’s soaking in as much time as she possibly can with her six grandchildren, determined not to miss a moment of their activities and achievements as they grow up. With so many stories and such a rich family history, Fersch plans to write memoirs for herself and her husband to capture everything from their military and medical history to their personal stories.
“I think that’s important in life to write that history down because a lot of times you might tell stories to your kids, but they don’t fully grasp them until you see something in writing,” Fersch says.
Big Time Baker
Aside from her knack with numbers, Fersch is also a fantastic baker. Over the years she has baked cakes and other goodies for various special occasions, including everything from anniversaries and reunions to birthdays and baby showers, and holds on to the memory of each one with a photo album.
Rachel Karas is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at rkaras@cityscenemediagroup.com.
